Jewish Threads: A Hands-On Guide to Stitching Spiritual Intention into Jewish Fabric Crafts

by Diana Drew, Robert Grayson

Overview

Learn how to make your own Jewish fabric crafts with spiritual intention—venture into a world of creativity, imagination & inspiration.

Journey along with talented Jewish fabric craft artists from throughout the United States and Israel as they retrace their steps in the creative process used to make thirty evocative projects. Then tap into your inner creativity by following step-by-step instructions to fashion family heirlooms with your own personal flair. Inspirational and motivational, these projects and stories will resonate with your artistic soul and awaken a desire to hand-craft Jewish fabric keepsakes to pass down from generation to generation. Projects and techniques include:

Quilting • Appliqué • Embroidery • Needlepoint • Cross-stitch • Knitting • Crochet • Felting • Needle felting • Tallitot • Tallit bags • Torah mantles • Challah covers • Seder plate • Afikomen envelopes • Torah table (shulchan) covers • Tree of Life & shalom wall hangings • Purim puppets • And more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580234429
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/01/2011
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	904,244
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Diana Drew, copresident of National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), West Morris (NJ) Section, is a prize-winning former daily newspaper reporter, a longtime book editor, and a publicist with Stella Hart Public Relations in Randolph, New Jersey. After working on a breathtaking quilted chuppah with other members of NCJW, West Morris, she felt compelled to spotlight this and other stunning Jewish fabric crafts in a book devoted to these crafts and the people who make them. Diana lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, Robert Grayson (who wrote this book's lovely part openings), and their cats, Tikvah and Mitzvah.

Robert Grayson is the author of many lively, topical books for young adults. An award-winning former daily newspaper reporter and cable-TV talk show host, Robert also writes magazine articles on arts and entertainment for national publications. He has helped organize, promote and publicize major craft shows in the Northeast, including a Judaica showcase, and is an avid craft collector.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part One: At Home
1. Susan's Tree of Life Wall Hanging
2. Ruth's Hamsa Wall Hanging
3. Arna’s Ahavah Needlepoint
4. Donna’s Quilted Shalom Wall Hanging
5. Barbara’s Felted Grapes Purse

Part Two: In the Synagogue
6. Eleanor’s Tree of Life Runner
7. Esther’s Crazy Quilt Shulchan Cover
8. Lois’s Sefer Placekeepers
9. Sukkot Torah Mantle
10. Shavuot Torah Mantle

Part Three: Celebrating Holidays
11. Esther’s Crazy Quilt Challah Cover
12. Menorah’s Challah Cover
13. Donna’s Apples & Honey Challah Cover
14. Heather’s High Holy Day Inspiration
15. Claire’s Ushpizin Quilt
16. Eleanor’s Chanukiah Vest
17. Ruth’s ChanuCats Quilt
18. Dancing Hamantaschen
19. Lesley’s Purim Puppets
20. Shellie’s Ten-Plagues Matzah Cover
21. Claire’s Afikomen Envelopes
22. Zoë’s Knit Seder Plate

Part Four: Through the Jewish Life Cycle
23. Hannah’s Baby Quilt
24. Vicki’s Cross-Stitch Wimpel
25. Julia’s Bat Mitzvah Challah Cover
26. Julian’s Traditional Tallit
27. Judy’s Garden of Eden Tallit Bag
28. Debra’s Tallit & Tallit Bag
29. Stuart’s Healing Quilt
30. Shalva Quilts

Inspirations
NCJW, West Morris Chuppah
Arna’s Tallit Bag
Another Chuppah
Hannah’s Woven Shalom Wall Hanging
Women’s Torah Project Bimah Cloth

Final Threads
General How-To’s for Quilt Making
General How-To’s for Lettering
Stitch Guide

Resources
The Blessing of Working Together
Projects for Holidays
An Array of Techniques
Jewish Imagery
From Sea to Shining Sea ... and Beyond
Suggested Reading for Beginners
Acknowledgments

Editorial Reviews

"A seamless and mindful meshing of instruction and inspiration, transmitting the beauty of Jewish traditions and the power of the needle arts to enhance them.... Offers not only patterns and ideas for projects but invaluable blueprints for connection. A book to cherish."
—Linda Skolnik, author,
The Knitting Way: A Guide to Spiritual Self-Discovery

“A rare book, one that deepens its reader both aesthetically and spiritually—and teaches so much along the way.”
—Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, author, Jewish Literacy

“Invites us to celebrate Judaism. A treasure for all who already enjoy working with their hands, as well as for those who want to get started.”
—Karen Bacon, PhD, The Dr. Monique C. Katz Dean,
Stern College for Women, Yeshiva University

“Bravo for getting us back to our needles, thread, and sewing machines to create beautiful Judaic objects! A wonderful guide for every artsy-craftsy Jewish education-through-the-arts type of person, whether it be for your home, your synagogue, your Hebrew school, or your community Jewish museum!”
—Ellen Premack, executive director, Mizel Museum

“Reinforc[es] the intrinsic worth and spiritual connections of Jewish textiles.... Rethinks categories, concepts, and tradition to break new ground in the field of textile art.”
—Laura Kruger, curator, Hebrew Union College Museum

“Valuable.... This highly researched book is a wonderful gift for yourself and anyone interested in learning how to make Jewish fabric crafts.”
—Marcia Jo Zerivitz, founding executive director and chief curator,
Jewish Museum of Florida

“A cornerstone book for any serious fiber artist and a must-read for anyone interested in including an aspect of Judaism in their crafting. Truly inspiring ... the reader and crafter will come away with a sense of artistic and spiritual fulfillment.”
—Stanlee Stahl, executive vice president,
Jewish Foundation for the Righteous

“Celebrate your Jewish identity with joy and pride! This breathtaking range of creative expression has something for everyone, and inspiration for the most meaningful, personal gifts you could never imagine without it!”
—Eleanor Levie, quilt book author and producer

“Illuminates yet another portal to Judaism.”
—Rabbi Jamie Korngold, The Adventure Rabbi; author, The God Upgrade: Finding Your 21st-Century Spirituality in Judaism's 5,000-Year-Old Tradition

“Inspiring. I loved having the instructions for the projects I might want to do, right there, after each story in the book.”
—Marian Kugelmass, Pomegranate Guild of Judaic Needlework,
North Jersey Chapter

From the Publisher